How To Entertain A Dog In A Small Home Space

On a random afternoon, your dog gets the zoomies.

Running from one end of your home to another, they knock a few pieces of furniture.

And as much as you love seeing your pup run around and be happy, you must’ve thought, “There must be a better way to help stimulate their mind without sacrificing my home.”

Luckily, with the right toys and activities, you can keep their zoomies to a minimum while still keeping them happy!

In this article, we’ll discuss:

• The benefits of playing with your dog.
• How toys can help dogs in their old age.
• Best dog toy you can use to keep them physically and mentally active.
• And so much more!

How to stop dog zoomies?

Stopping your dog from having zoomies means tackling one of the roots of the issue - understimulation. To lessen this, you must give your dogs enough physical exercise and activities to stimulate their minds. Using food dispensing puzzles that doubles as a dog chew toy is a great way to do this.

Why do dogs have zoomies?

As dog owners, seeing our fur babies have zoomies is something we experience almost daily.

Zoomies is a common dog behavior that they do whenever they:

• Have excess energy.
• Want to show playfulness.
• Want to release stress or anxiety.
• Feel excessively content or happy.
• Feel excitement from meeting other dogs.

Zoomies, generally, aren’t something that’s a cause for concern. Especially if your furry friend isn’t doing it too much.

However, if you want to lessen your pup’s zoomies, one of the most effective ways is by stimulating your dog properly.

How to stimulate dogs effectively

Being understimulated is a common issue in dogs, especially for owners who live in small spaces and have busy schedules.

Pet owners sometimes focus too much on their dog’s food and grooming that they scrimp on giving them enough time to exercise.

This is totally understandable, though! Not everyone has the luxury of having a big yard where dogs can run around or the time to walk their dogs for a few hours every day.

For those who have dogs and at the same time have limited space and time, the next best thing you can do is use items such as chew toys that are challenging enough to keep your pups stimulated.

“How do I know if a toy will be able to stimulate my dog?”

There are a few things that you need to look for when buying a toy for your furry friend:

• Be rewarding for them to play with.
• Have a texture that’s interesting to dogs.
• Be stimulating to their senses e.g., makes sounds, produces light, etc.

These are only a few features in some of the most common and popular dog toys on the market today.

Finding a toy that can cater to your dog’s mental and physical stimulation needs can have long-term benefits, too! We’ll discuss some of them below.

Benefits of playing with your dog

Weight management

When dogs have sufficient exercise, they can develop better physical health. One of the benefits of being physically active is proper weight management.

Letting your dog exercise and be active will help them stay at a healthy weight and be able to avoid:

• Obesity.
• Joint problems.
• Poor immune system.
• General lack of energy.
• Cardiovascular and respiratory issues.

Even a small activity such as playing fetch can already drastically change your pup’s health for the better.

Better relations with other dogs and people

Another reason why playtime is beneficial for dogs is that they can build better relationships with other canines and people.

Some pet owners don’t realize how important it is to socialize their pets, especially when they’re still young.

Dogs that have been properly socialized tend to be better at managing their emotions and are more calm and disciplined than those who haven’t been socialized.

This will lead to fewer fights, bites, and untoward incidents with other dogs and people.

Lowers chances of cognitive decline

As dogs age, so do their cognitive abilities.

When this happens, dogs tend to be:

• More aggressive caused by anxiety and fear.
• Forgetful and have difficulty recognizing faces.
• Incontinent causing them to forget house training.

Growing old is inevitable. However, you can delay the effects of aging on your dog’s cognitive health by keeping their minds sharp through toys.

One way of doing this is by giving them toys that will challenge and improve their problem-solving skills.

You could do this by training them to ring a bell to ask for food or using a slow feeder for their meals.

However, the most popular way to stimulate your dog’s cognitive skills is by giving them food-dispensing toys.

What we recommend: Kong Classic Dog Toy

Regarding dog toys, Kong classic toy is one of the most recognized and popular worldwide.

Their size and variation of uses make them one of the most beloved toys by pet owners who live in small spaces. This is also why homeowners in UAE who live in small apartments love these!

You don’t need a large yard to let your dog play with a Kong dog toy.

They’re also made from durable natural rubber, making it perfectly safe for your canine friend. You can also choose the size and the firmness of the toy, which makes them suitable for all ages and dog breeds.

How to use a Kong dog toy?

Using a Kong classic dog toy is easy! Here are a few tips:

• Use your dog’s favorite food.
• Pack their food or treats lightly inside so it comes out easily.
• Increase the difficulty of the toy by mixing wet and dry food.

Here’s a video from Kong to further explain the usage of their toy: